Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-05
A chance visitor who ftad dropped into

the great ratification meeting at the wig
wan last Monday night, would have sup
posed that second emancipation OF the
colored race was being celebrated. With
good reason did the colored men of Spring
field shout, for their efforts 1t was which
accomplished the repeal of the ''black laws. "
These laws would undoubtedly still be in
force had il not been for the persistent eff
forts of a little band of coiored men IN this
city in bringing the matter before the legi>-
lature. The Springfield colored men fought,
sued, wrote. and talked so earnestly for
this principle of universal liberty that their
efforts were at last crowned with success.
The eolored men of Springfield have given
complete civil rights to their brethren in all
parts of the state. ltwasa
SPRINGFIELD VICTORY,
and it was poetic and political justice to
hold the state ratification meeting IN Spring
field.
Many OF the citizens of Springfield did
not seem to understand the Importance OF
the meeting Monday evening. 1t was fifty
called the state ratification meeting for
that was its significance. Arnett, the au-
thor of the bill. was present and made
speech which caused the silver-haired Poin-
dexter to call the memory of Corwin the
wagon boy" Of Ohio TO witness that there
had never been such another speaker a.
Arnett since that great master of stump
eloquence vanished from the stage of public
Affairs. Three of the men who helped to
pass the bill were present-Senator Ely
and our own Rawlins and Pringle. and
notable gathering of white citizens who had
come to rejoice with the colored brethren
over the stand taken by the state of Ohio
for universal liberty.
The action of the state of Ohio in repeal
ing these '.hlack laws has attracted the IA
vorable comment of the principal newspa-
pers OF the country. The New York Sun
is a democratic paper. Its editor writes the
best English prose. from a purely literary
standpoint of any editor in the country.
Editor Dana wrote the following concerning
the action of the legislature, and it is the
best treatment of the subject which has yet
appeared: He says:
.One OF the relics of slavery which ought
10 be promptly removed is the legislation
that still exists in various states prohibit
ing the intermarriage of white and black
people. There is no sufficient reason why
the state should interfere in this matter,
and We are glad to notice that in Ohio the
legislature has adopted our view of the
matter and has repealed the objectionable
statute. A case which has occurred in
Texas sheds interesting light on this ques-
tion. DIR. c. ii. Berry. of Coryell county,
q white man. has married Ann Thompson.
q colored girl. and has been arrested for so
doing. The penalty for the oifense is five
years in the penitentiary. while at the same
time. il, instead of being married by cler-
gyman, those parties had adopted a more
irregular mode, there would have been no
offense and no punishment The law as ii
stands simply offers a premium on immor
atty"
The above hits the nail squarely on the
head. Some persons pretend TO believe
that now the legal impediments are re-
moved, there will be wholesale intermar-
riage between the whites and the colored
people in Ohio. There will be nothing of
the kind. There will be no more intermar-
riage than before. In the past there have
been q number of cases of white men hav-
ing colored wives. and cOlored men having
white wives. Only the other day promi
nent colored man Of this city said to me: Il
know of two white men who have col
ored women for wives, and what is
more. these men are well known
members of North street church, and are
citizens of good character and industrious
habits. There are many cases in Spring
field of colored men who have white wives.
In the large audience which gathered To
listen 10 Blind Tom. the colored pianist. a
number of colored women with white es-
corts aud number of white women with
colored escorts were noticed. Before & e
removal of the black laws, of course. no
marriages could be legally solennzed and
no license procured. Now those marriages
which do take place will be legal, at all
events. Ii Is said that a license WAS ap-
piled for, for a marriage of this kind in
this citv two days after the passage of the
law, but there is no reason 10 suppose that
there will be any greater number of such
marriages than before.
Senator Ely, of Cleveland. in his speech
at the wigwam made some remark able
statements. He said: There are 10000
cOlored people in the United States. little
over one-eighth of our entire population.
Where there are two races in the proportion
of seven-eighths and one-eighth in a ma
ton. the one of which has held the other
in bondage. there is only one solution To- the
problem. and that is in assimilation and
absorption. | want every man here to-
night to carry away that truth with him."
The colored teachers of this city. who are
alarmed lest Their occupation will be gone
in, ,,,t 0
audience and listened attentiyely to every
word which was spoken by the orators
They were much camforted by the rem rk
of Rev. James Poindeyter, who stated that
in his opinion a colored teacher who had
been examined and pronounced competent
to teach colored children must also BE- com
petent TO teach white children. ii. c. Smith,
the young editor of the Cleveland Gazette.
told how they managed these things in
Cleveland. He stated that As soon As a
cOlored girl had graduated from the normal
school and there was a vacancy which the
school board thought she could fill, she was
elected to IL and taught both white and
colored children. He stated that q number
Of such colored teachers were teaching in
Cl, veland, where they have had mixed
schools for a long time and that the ar
rangement gave general satisfaction.
Editor Smiths remarks were greeted
with applause. and attracted much attea-
tion from the colored teachers present.
A friend of the colured race could have
found much cause for eXultatiOn in the in
telligent and respectable appearance Of the
audience of colored people present. The
colored ladies present We're dressed in a
tasteful and refined manner and the major
ity of the colored men were neatly dressed.
Now. when il is remembered that every
thing the colored people possess today they
have earned by their own labor and indus
try, and that little over a score of years
.i...... thor.